Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Recipe

You are going to love this copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf with onions, green bell pepper, Ritz crackers, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword copycat cracker barrel meatloaf, cracker barrel copycat meatloaf, cracker barrel meatloaf copycat, cracker barrel meatloaf recipe, how to make cracker barrel meatloaf

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 25

Servings servings

Calories 500kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
1 teaspoon woodfired garlic powder
2 lbs ground beef 80/20
30 Ritz crackers crushed
2 large eggs beaten
1⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup milk whole or 2%
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Glaze

⅔ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish for easy cleanup.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook until soft, stirring several times. Stir in the wood-fired garlic the last minute of cooking. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool.
Combine the ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, eggs, cheddar cheese, milk, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Using your clean hands, gently mix the meatloaf ingredients.
Shape the mixture into a loaf in the prepared dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
Whisk the ketchup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard in a small bowl.
After the meatloaf bakes for 30 minutes, spread the glaze over the meatloaf. Bake for another 30 minutes or until cooked through. Meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Cover the meatloaf with an aluminum foil tent and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Notes

My two recipe changes make this meatloaf just that much more delicious. But if you want to keep the recipe as close as possible to Cracker Barrel's meatloaf, eliminate the woodfired garlic powder and the balsamic vinegar.
Cover the meatloaf with an aluminum foil tent (so you don't mess up the glaze) and let it rest. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender, juicier meatloaf.
Meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in the oven covered at 300 degrees with a little beef broth or water added to the baking dish for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition